1 Samuel 24 vs 1-22

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verses 1 – 2

·    David had stayed at En Gedi because it was actually a good spot to be on the run. It is surrounded by desert and difficult terrain, difficult to get to, and the mountains there are high enough that you can see enemies approaching. What’s more, there’s water, vegetation, and tons of caves. It’s amazing how cool a cave will stay even when it is roasting outside.

·    Saul approaches with three thousand chosen men. Men of war, his top officers and soldiers. David has 600 men. That’s one against five. Not good odds for David and his men. Remember Kreese? “What’s the matter, the boy can’t take care of his own problems?” And Miyagi’s prophetic response? “One to one problem, yes. Five to one problem, too must ask anyone!!” HA!

·    How’d Saul find David again? There’s always going to be someone who has your name in their mouth when you’re not around, seeking to do damage. It’s just a fact of life. Don’t you wish this person was named…? Doesn’t really work like that. A good barometer of who this type is, this self-seeker, is someone who simply does this with you about others. Does that make sense?

·    Is there really anyone on this planet that you think only is good? Maybe. Is there really anyone on this planet that you can’t talk smack about? No… And this is one of the greatest challenges of maturity in the faith. Ephesians 4:29-32 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

·    Superior maturity… James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” Superior maturity is the control of your tongue (and may I add thankfully, it doesn’t say your face, HA!)! But as Christians, we ought to develop the pattern of habit to use our words to build, not tear down…, and the sad truth is that most that tear down with their words is because they have been torn down also. Let me give you this…, it ran in my family until it ran into Christ in me…! I love that saying!

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verse 3

·    Saul picks the very cave where David and his men were hiding. They had no doubt seen Saul and 3,000 soldiers coming their way and David picked a large enough cave to contain his 600 men. This was the cave of the sheepfolds so entire flocks could fit into these caves. And Saul takes a bathroom break. Which means he would go in alone while his men waited outside. It’s a perfect scenario for David to seize victory!

·    Remember the first general David faced? It took a ton of courage, it took a ton of backbone, David had to put his life on the line! Extremely difficult situation! Now, the second general he faces…, could this be any easier!? Here’s the principle. The reward of obedience, the reward of walking in the Spirit when the situation is tough, the reward is the ability to do it again, and with so much less trouble!

·    Folks, this is a good principle to learn. Respect, love, patience, kindness, longsuffering, it’s just like dealing with tough customers or handling important leaders in your career. The first time is absolutely terrifying but then, hey, you’ve been there before… Didn’t die… Made it through… Here we go again. The reward of obedience is the ability to obey again… And obedience to God with the Goliaths (super difficult) will lead to obedience to God with the squatting Sauls (couldn’t be easier)!

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verse 4

·    This is definitely that Saul had laid his outer robe aside. There’s no practical way that David could have snuck up on Saul having it on, not in an echoing, rocky terrain cave… So, Saul had set his robe aside and David went and took a corner of it off…

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verses 5 – 7

·    Is this not just about the opposite of what you would expect? Saul has hated David, for nothing that David has done. David is completely innocent, maybe more than that, David has been overly righteous towards Saul. David could have taken the throne… I don’t doubt this. A bear, a lion, Goliath…, what would it be to challenge and defeat Saul? And yet David had not done so…

·    Saul had wrecked his friendship with Jonathan, driven him from his home, publically humiliated him by making him run, and now he’s no doubt hungry, not getting enough, worried about the men with him, worried about the nation not being taken care of by Saul…, on an on and all this because Saul is just being an absolute jerk… Would you feel badly for putting a stop to all of that?

·    David does! Why? Because it’s unrighteous. A man after God’s heart. All of this happening to David but David is preoccupied with how God sees things. And this is why he will be king… This is why he is fit to lead those around him. He isn’t harboring bitterness that is stronger in him than his love for God. Oh, he’s not void of anger, bitterness, hurt, harm, frustration…, it’s just that all of those things, it’s just that he himself, is second to the Lord in his heart of hearts…

·    We often wonder how we can get through and not smack someone or not tell them off or not cut them off or be nice to them in the office and so on and so on…, it’s not that complex…, difficult, not complex…, the answer is worship. (That’s what defines a person after God’s own heart – worship) As you worship God in your own heart, there’s just simply no room to worship yourself… So when you see someone living in a place of outbursts of wrath or uncontrolled bitterness or just bitterness that is allowed to turn the rudder of their behavior, the issue is not what has been done to them or how terrible the other person is…, Saul couldn’t be more terrible to David, HE SEEKS HIS LIFE!, the issue is worship in the heart of hearts… Just that simple. Not easy, but definitely simple…

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verse 8

·    Who is by far the better man here? (David) What does David call Saul? (My lord) What does the better man, the stronger man, the wiser man, the more righteous man do? He bows himself. I’m trying to give you a principle here…

·    2,000 years ago, what did the Man of excellence do? He took the cross. What happened to the better Man? He bowed Himself. Hopefully by now the principle is emerging. The one that submits first, humbles first, apologizes first… This is the one that has more substance within. Much more…

·    David was a mess of a man and everyone knows it… The fact that he was a man after God’s own heart wasn’t supported by his propensity to sin. It was established and upheld by his urgency in repenting. He would sin, just like us all. But David was so fast to repent. To acknowledge his sin, take personal accountability, and turn towards God about the matter. This is what pleased the Lord.

·    The hope of sinlessness or being a good person is not what makes us clean in the presence of God and in our relationship with Him or with others. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Sinlessness or even sinning less isn’t the key. The key is swift accountability and repentance. That is what makes us folks worth anything at all… And someone who does this, in the eyes of men and of God, in the economy of heaven AND the economy of earth, are incredibly valuable to themselves and to others.

·    Proverbs 15:6 says, “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.”

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verses 9 – 15

·    David’s plea is not only to Saul but to God in this moment… And I would just like to read to you something David Guzik says on this scene that I think is entirely important, “The phrase touch not the Lord’s anointed is in vogue among some Christians and among many leaders. Often to them it means: “You should never speak against a pastor or a leader. He is above your criticism or rebuke, so just keep quiet.” Sometimes it is used even to prevent a Biblical evaluation of teaching. But when David recognized that Saul was the LORD’s anointed and refused to harm him, what David would not do is kill Saul. He did humbly confront Saul with his sin, hoping Saul would change his heart. But it is entirely wrong for people to use the idea of touch not the Lord’s anointed to insulate a leader from all evaluation or accountability.”

·    I will always counterbalance that with 1 Timothy 5:1, “Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.” And 1 Timothy 5:17-21, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.”

·    We must walk in wisdom and the entire counsel of God’s entire Word, but we should never allow sin to go on around us because of this example of David “not touching the Lord’s anointed.” Any Bible verse used as a cloak for the flesh is a misapplication of that Bible verse.

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verses 16 – 19

·    Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath…” David melts Saul in this moment… Yes, God gives David the moment but it is only achieved and given because David is doing what the Word of God tells him to do! Said it before, I’ll say it again, if you want God’s results, God’s blessing, God showing up and showing off, then you have to do it God’s way!

·    Ok, soft answering is difficult for some of y’all flesh addicts… HA! Let me give you some other motivation. Proverbs 25:21-22, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you!” Better? HA!!

1 Samuel Chapter 24 Verses 20 – 22

·    What a confession… Saul sees in David’s humility how much better of a man, better of a leader, better of a king, how much better across the board David is than himself… Why? Because David chose humility, aka strength…, a strength that Saul lacked himself and in lacking humility he had no access to any other type of strength.

·    Its sorta like that. Take someone that is loving, without humility. Weak. Take someone who is joyful, without humility. Weak. Take someone who is rich and powerful, without humility. Weak. The fruit of the Spirit is love and through agape love there is access to all other fruits of the Spirit… Humility is like that as well. The strength of the Savior King is humility and through humility there is access to all other areas of character/personal substance and all forms and types and manifestations of strength…

·    So, David wins and Saul is entirely defeated and surrenders…, but only for a chapter… Why? He has no strength… Saul says one thing and lives another way. He makes vows and breaks them. He knows what is wise and his emotions win… Why? No humility…, no strength…